Chapter 374: 374 The Breath of Heavenly Dao

Words : 1426 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 374: Chapter 374 The Breath of Heavenly Dao Azura Loomis glared, still trying to speak, but without the system’s protection, she couldn’t resist the power of the Silence Talisman at all. Scarlett Jennings was anxious to check on Samuel Chalmers and no longer paid attention to her. Instead, she turned to Caius Carew and brought up another matter. “Azura Loomis previously set up several underworld artifacts at the Jennings Family estate. Today, the system originally intended to use the resentful energies from those artifacts against me. It simply didn’t succeed. When you take her away, make sure to bring those artifacts back with you as well.” Caius Carew recalled Scarlett mentioning this earlier and immediately nodded seriously. He then delegated the task to Victor Quintero. Scarlett Jennings hadn’t planned to bring this up, but as soon as she did, Azura Loomis suddenly became agitated, her eyes widened in rage, her expression clearly full of questions. Even though she couldn’t speak, Scarlett knew exactly what Azura wanted to ask. “You want to ask why those underworld artifacts failed to harm me?” Azura Loomis stared daggers at her, still unable to comprehend why. After all, the system had assured her that Scarlett’s soul body had already been invaded by the yin-resentful energy. It was precisely because Scarlett was supposedly doomed that Azura dared to show up so brazenly, expecting to harvest her fortune. The system couldn’t possibly have lied to her. So, what went wrong? “The answer is simple.” Scarlett Jennings said, “When I temporarily removed those underworld artifacts, I had already anticipated potential backlash from them, so I made someone craft a Substitute Doll for me ahead of time.” When the yin-resentful energy surged out at that moment, it followed the system’s directives and targeted Scarlett’s aura. However, the energy didn’t attack Scarlett herself—it attacked her substitute instead. Azura Loomis stared blankly, completely stupefied this time. A substitute... No wonder, no wonder even the system had been fooled! That system... worthless! It couldn’t even discern a substitute! Both Azura and the system lacked enough knowledge about Mystical Sect methods and therefore didn’t know about magical techniques like the Substitute Technique. After all, substitutes were commonly used within the Mystical Sect. For example, when regular folks provoked malevolent ghosts, and masters either couldn’t or didn’t want to confront the ghosts directly, they would resolve the karmic entanglement between the person and ghost by using a substitute to bear the consequences—essentially, a roundabout way to save the person’s life. Coincidentally, one of Scarlett Jennings’s classmates had recently been focused on research into Substitute Dolls. ... In the Jennings Family’s basement. Stella Gibson, holding a doll in her arms, looked at the geomancy array in front of her. Several underworld artifacts were arranged within it, and in their midst lay the already ravaged Substitute Doll. She yawned out of boredom. “I wonder how Scarlett is faring with everything outside?” She was getting sleepy. Sigh, she wanted to sleep. Across from her, Gregory Xander sat with an overly tense face, his mantra-signing fingers nearly cramped from overuse. While suppressing the yin-resentful energy within the array, he gritted his teeth and coldly scolded, “If you’re bored, help me suppress the lingering energy in here!” He turned and glared at Ashton Todd nearby, “And you! Didn’t Scarlett pay you for your services? Your spiritual power delivery has been spotty; is that how the instructors at the academy taught you?” Both of them looked thoroughly innocent at the accusation. Stella Gibson: “I only make Substitute Dolls. Suppressing resentful energies is beyond me.” Ashton Todd: “True, I was paid, but my specialty lies in Geomancy Arrays, and I set up half of this array myself.” You can critique my skill level, but don’t accuse me of taking money and shirking work. No one doubts my professional ethics in this field. Not even you, Gregory! Gregory Xander: ... If he’d known earlier that Scarlett brought in this dynamic duo, he’d never have agreed to help her out, not even if it killed him. In the end, he bore the brunt of it all. ... Elsewhere, Scarlett Jennings arrived at the Chalmers Family’s estate just as the doctor finished examining Samuel Chalmers. Upon seeing her, the doctor couldn’t help but ask, “Is Mr. Chalmers really confirmed to have fainted due to a thunderstrike? I just finished a preliminary examination. Mr. Chalmers doesn’t show any signs of having been struck by lightning. His pulse and breathing are both normal. So far, I haven’t been able to determine what caused his unconsciousness.” The doctor was more inclined to believe Samuel wasn’t actually struck by lightning but was narrowly missed. To put it bluntly, he suspected Samuel might have fainted from sheer fright. Only this theory couldn’t be voiced aloud. After all, if he dared question Mr. Chalmers’s nerve today, once Samuel woke up, he’d probably question the doctor’s qualifications to remain the family physician. Scarlett had no way to explain the scene when the Fire Thunder had struck Samuel. Instead, she turned to Caius Carew. Caius stepped forward, placing a hand on Samuel’s pulse, and boldly began to check it in front of everyone. The family doctor instinctively glanced at Scarlett and the butler, prompting Scarlett to clarify, “He knows some medicine.” The family doctor nodded hesitantly, only to watch Caius finish checking Samuel’s pulse and then suddenly pull out a Yellow Talisman, circling it above Samuel’s body while murmuring incantations under his breath. The next moment, with a flick of his palm, the talisman ignited spontaneously. The family doctor was stunned, “He—He!...” Scarlett Jennings calmly reassured him, “He practices Daoist medicine.” Family Doctor: ... I suspect you’re all playing tricks on Mr. Chalmers’s body, but I have no proof. Thankfully, Caius soon concluded his assessment, and the results matched the doctor’s findings: “That thunderbolt didn’t strike him directly. He’s just temporarily unconscious.” What puzzled Caius, though, was his inability to perceive Samuel’s soul body—almost as if some form of prohibition was blocking all external investigations. This was Caius’s first time encountering such a situation. Moreover, when he attempted to probe Samuel’s soul body, that subtle sense of familiarity only grew stronger. He had a nagging feeling that Samuel Chalmers was harboring secrets. Still, those thoughts weren’t worth mentioning aloud. Scarlett felt slightly relieved hearing Caius’s words. Mastery of Mystical Sect medical techniques was notoriously challenging, but Caius’s earlier demeanor clearly showed some proficiency. She was about to ask more when several individuals dressed like doctors hurried upstairs, quickly escorted by bodyguards. Following behind them were several nurses carrying specialized portable medical equipment. The butler promptly explained, “This is the medical team from the Chalmers Private Hospital.” Since it concerned Samuel Chalmers’s health, the butler didn’t dare take any chances and had contacted the team earlier. After all, the situation involved a lightning strike; a thorough examination was necessary. Who knows, the brain might have been affected? Scarlett Jennings and Donovan Jennings decided to wait for the results from the medical team. Suddenly, a small, adorable figure appeared from somewhere, running up to Scarlett and pawing at her feet with its little claws intermittently. Scarlett glanced at Caius Carew nearby before standing and following the little one away. She was led downstairs to Dashiell’s room. Only then did Scarlett realize Dashiell hadn’t shown up earlier. Logically, the commotion at the Jennings Family today wasn’t small; even Samuel Chalmers had come by. There was no reason for Dashiell not to accompany Samuel. She pushed open the slightly ajar door and walked inside. The room had noticeably more décor and toys compared to her first visit, but Scarlett’s attention immediately went to the large, bulging shape under the bedcovers. “Dashiell?” She called out softly, and the lump under the covers quivered slightly, followed by rustling movements. After a while, a head slowly emerged from beneath the blanket. “Scarlett Jennings...” Dashiell’s voice sounded muffled. As he lifted his head, Scarlett noticed his face was covered in silver snake scales that hadn’t been seen in a long time, complete with horns protruding from his forehead. Scarlett was slightly surprised, “What’s wrong with you?” Dashiell’s expression twitched. After some hesitation, he tentatively and quietly replied, “Just now, when Samuel Chalmers and I arrived, I... I felt something. “Felt what?” With a trembling voice and a miserable look, Dashiell responded, “It was the Heavenly Dao... Within the Fire Thunder, there was a trace of Heavenly Dao energy.”

Chapter 374: 374 The Breath of Heavenly Dao

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